The purpose of this study was to examine under conditions of acute ethanol administration the effect of age on: (1) the kinetics of distribution and elimination of ethanol, (2) insulin, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, (3) posterior pituitary function and free water clearance, (4) psychomotor and cognitive performance. Uremia is known to be associated with disturbed elimination of several drugs which are metabolized by the liver. Since alcohol is metabolized primarily by a unique hepatic mechanism, the present study was designed to determine the effect of experimentally induced uremia on rates of ethanol disappearance from the blood, and on the ethanol oxidizing enzymes.